


“Pretty Eyes. Annoying.”

by deadlysansa



Series: These Lines of Lightning: Bonus Content [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bonus Scene, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Oneshot, Pining, drunk Lily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27083224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadlysansa/pseuds/deadlysansa
Summary: A bonus scene I have written in celebration of TLOL hitting 5,000 hits! James sits with Lily when she gets drunk after the events of Snape’s Worst Memory, as referred to in Chapter 10.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Series: These Lines of Lightning: Bonus Content [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1976632
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	“Pretty Eyes. Annoying.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you come across this one shot and haven’t read my fic ‘These Lines of Lightning’ - you should first, you won’t regret it! 
> 
> THANK YOU FOR 5K HITS ON THESE LINES OF LIGHTNING! I cannot believeeeeeeee it. I’m in awe of you all reading and loving TLOL, it’s amazing.
> 
> I wrote you this little bonus scene as a gift for your patience and love. It gives a little insight into James’ growing up and maturing. I hope it tides you over until Chapter 11!! 
> 
> As always, come say hey on tumblr- deadlysansa. It gives me life  
> Xo

“Finally!  _ Finally!”  _ Sirius was grinning like a madman, stretched out on the sofa with his drink balanced on his stomach precariously. “No more exams!”

The party in Gryffindor Common Room was well underway. It was the end of a sunny June and they were all going their separate ways home in a few days, so people were manic in their celebration. Usually James would be right at the heart of it, but he’d had an eventful day to say the least. Also as usual, Lily’s shouts still echoed in his ears, but what was  _ new _ this time was the way he agonised over them. James’ day hadn’t been as bad as hers, to say the least. 

“Until we start studying for N.E.W.T.s that is,” Remus reminded Sirius, earning a filthy stare.

“I’m going to thump you, Moony,” He reached his arm out, but it fell vastly short and he sighed as Remus grinned. “Prongs, I need you to thump Moony.”

James, however, didn’t hear him. He was reclined in the armchair, gaze fixed on the other corner of the Common Room. He’d gone too far this time. 

Peter shifted halfway out of his seat, “I can thump him.”

Remus jerked out of Peter’s reach with an alarmed eyebrow raise.

“Thanks for the offer, Wormtail, but I was hoping for that Quidditch arm precision,” Sirius rolled his stare back to James. “Oi – Prongs!”

He finally looked over at his mate. “Huh?”

Sirius sighed, “Are you really going to be miserable all night? Evans has yelled at you before – countless times, in fact – you’ll bounce back.”

James shook his head absently. “This was different, Padfoot.  _ I  _ pushed Snape to call her a – a…” He broke off in disgust.

“Snape said that all on his own, James,” Remus said fiercely. “We’ve always known he’s rotten to the core.”

“She blames me,” James despaired, running a hand through his hair.

With plenty of practised patience, Remus shook his head resolutely, “Lily was betrayed and embarrassed in front of everyone today, mate. She lashed out at you because you were being an obnoxious prick,” Sirius and Peter snorted. “And you were an excuse to shout when she couldn’t shout about the thing that  _ really  _ upset her.”

James was unconvinced, and his gut still twisted painfully as he glanced back to where she was sat. Even clearly drunk and head lolling to one side, she was so pretty it made his heart pound. Marlene was in the chair beside her, having a full blown one-sided conversation and sipping from her glass to pass the time. He’d gathered that Alice, Mary and Marlene had decided to take turns sitting with Evans after she’d drank her body weight in Firewhiskey and refused to go upstairs to bed so early 

Lily was reading a book, or pretending to, as she was holding it upside down and her eyes were half closed. If he was in a better mood, James would have smiled, because he knew that reading was her go to signal that she wanted to be left alone. (A signal he mostly ignored.) The jubilant students partying one metre away from her were also having trouble understanding that Lily Evans was  _ not  _ in the mood to celebrate, and she’d amassed quite the number of drinks on the coffee table in front of her.

“Aren’t you worried about her?” James asked Remus.

Remus smiled softly at his mate, “I am. But you’ve had your eyes glued on her all evening, so if anything’s amiss, we’ll know.”

“Just have drink, Prongs. Try to forget about this afternoon,” Peter suggested.

But James’ gaze was back on Lily. He felt so useless in that moment, that he couldn’t fix anything for her. He’d tried, and it had backfired incredibly. He was regretful that Lily didn’t trust him or like him enough to let him be there for her, to listen when he told her that Snape didn’t deserve another second of her time. Everything he’d done that year – so brash, and irritating to her – had gotten him nowhere. James could usually laugh about that, but after today – it was all a little too real. And looking at Lily’s state, she felt the same.

“I’m not in the mood, Wormtail,” James answered finally, and he stood up slowly, still wondering if it was a bad idea.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m just going to make sure those twats keep away from her,” James’ shrug of nonchalance was implausible.

Sirius mouth twisted knowingly, “You’ll probably be back in thirty seconds when she gets her wand out on you.”

James shrugged with the art of a man who knew full well he was a sucker, “Probably.”

But it didn’t stop him. James dodged all the students careening into his path for a well-meaning but unwelcome chat, and approached Lily cooped up in the corner. Her cheeks were flushed from drinking and her hair fanned out over the back of the chair like she’d pulled it off her neck. Her eyes dutifully roamed across the page of her book. The corner of his mouth lifted involuntarily; she was so stubborn.

Beside her, Marlene’s eyebrows rose and she smirked a little. She didn’t look surprised, he noted, as she got up to speak to him. “Most boys wouldn’t dare get this close to a girl who said what Lily said to you.”

“I’m not most boys,” He joked, but his heart wasn’t in it. 

Marlene understood and sighed, glancing back at Lily. “She’s really hurt, James; today was brutal. She worries everyone thinks she’s an idiot, for thinking any differently about  _ him,”  _ she told him in a low voice. 

James nodded; he’d already suspected that was the case. He certainly never thought she was an idiot for trusting Snape. He knew she was wonderfully open and forgiving and liked to take care of people - Snape was the idiot for taking blatant advantage of that and screwing it up. 

“I’ll sit with her, Mar, you go and enjoy yourself.” 

“No way,” Marlene shook her head. “She cannot handle  _ your  _ antics right now, big guy.”

“I’m not going to hit on a half conscious girl!” Argued James in disgust. “I just… I’m having a shit time anyway, I’d rather sit with her. Honestly.” 

Marlene pressed her lips together, clearly tempted. “I guess it would be nice to get away from these weird Seventh Year guys trying to hit on me. I’m a bloody sitting target here.”

James narrowed his eyes at the group nearby, registering their drunk raucous laughter. “Bugger off, then, okay?” He told her, not unkindly. 

The blonde rolled her eyes, “All right, all right!” She hesitated, glancing between him and Lily. “But James, Snape’s attitude isn’t your fault. She knows that.”

James huffed a laugh, “I’m easy to shout at?” He repeated Remus’ words. 

Marlene smiled, “I think she secretly likes how well you can take it.” Her eyes widened, “Oh, Merlin, never tell her I told you that! She’ll kill me once she’s out of this stupor.”

The corners of his mouth ticked up at that, and Marlene left with a despairing laugh. James turned his attention to Lily - as usual - Marlene’s words igniting the small flicker of hope he carried with him, that had been all but extinguished that afternoon. 

“All right, Evans?” He said lightly.

She didn’t look up, brows furrowed. “I don’t need any more water.”

James slid his hands into his pockets. How was he  _ still _ nervous around her when she was so out of it? And practically drooling?

“That’s fine, because I don’t actually have any.”

Lily made a noise like, “ _ Hmph _ .”

A Seventh Year stood in the group behind Lily’s chair was stealing glances at her, and James blood heated when he caught the expression on his face – the way assholes looked at girls when they were clearly vulnerable. It propelled him to drop into the armchair pushed against Lily’s pointedly, a protective action she’d argue with if she was sober. She frowned at the jostling, but otherwise didn’t seem to care what he was doing at all. 

“I’m just checking that you’re okay,” James ventured. 

“Bloody fantastic,” Lily mumbled, scrunching her eyes and then squinting at her book. He thought she’d finally registered that it was upside down. “Hey, what language is this in?” She said. 

James fought back a laugh, but his eyes were as soft as honey when they flicked over her face. Sober Lily usually raised her wand threateningly when she thought he’d invaded her space, but right now her gaze finally slid to her right, looking at him curiously through bleary eyes. James’ heart stuttered at the openness of her expression, and the hundreds of freckles scattered across her skin like constellations. He was seized by sadness that he’d let them become distant in favour of his chaotic attempts to go out with her; they’d gotten along reasonably well once. 

“It’s in my native language, ‘too much Firewhiskey’,” James told her. 

Lily sighed dramatically and snapped the volume shut, “Here!” She watched his face sleepily as she tossed it into his lap. “You can read it to me. Is it lame to read at parties? I don’t care.” 

“You shouldn’t care,” James agreed, “That’s the great thing about parties, you can do whatever you want at them.” 

A slow, rare smile bloomed on Lily’s lips at that, and James found it suddenly difficult to swallow. He cleared his throat under her gaze, which was strangely analytical for someone so pissed. James seized up the book as an afterthought, flicking through the pages at random. 

“Where did you get up to?” He asked casually. 

Lily shifted in her seat lazily, tucking her legs up on the chair and facing James fully, clasped hands under her cheek. Her eyes fluttered, “I’m at the bit where I lose something I never had.” 

James’ chest stilled, his very pulse seemingly stopping to listen. Spikes of anger toward Snape rose to the surface, for having the audacity, the gall to hurt someone like Lily, someone he  _ never  _ deserved. Perhaps James didn’t deserve her, either, but hurting her? It was unthinkable. 

“Some things are meant to end,” He said gently under the watchful gaze of her lidded eyes. 

Lily sniffed, “Well, I want something that’ll last.”

James smiled at the pages. “You’ll get it,” He assured her. Because she would, whether he got his shot or not. People were drawn to Lily - it had been the bane of his Fifth Year. 

“Or I can join the women in the robes… the ones who marry God or something, although I’ve never been brave enough to ask if they  _ actually  _ marry God,” Lily mumbled. 

James chuckled, wracking his brain for everything he’d read about muggle religions from Muggle Studies. “Nuns?” 

Lily clicked weakly, “Nuns! I’ll bet no one asks those nuns out. Not even the lonely priests.”

James’ eyebrows flew up on his forehead as a thought struck him. “Sniv- Snape asked you out?”

Lily’s nose wrinkled, “Are you crazy? I’m talking about Potter _.”  _

Ah. James visibly relaxed in his armchair, blowing out a breath. As someone who was infatuated with Lily, he knew when someone else was infatuated with Lily, and Snape ticked  _ all _ the boxes. But at least he didn’t ask her out. Maybe the stupid git should have, then he could have gotten on with his rejected and wounded act much sooner and stopped wasting her time. 

“You look like him,” She said, so ridiculously that James laughed. “Pretty eyes. Annoying.” 

His eyes darted to meet her waiting ones. She’d lost a friend today. But she was complaining about him. Was that, was that  _ good?  _

“Are you reading? I can’t tell,” Lily suddenly reached out and tapped the book absently, her tipsy co-ordination meaning her fingers skated along the back of his hand as she pulled back, James’ blood jumping at the contact. 

James took in the words that seemed to float meaninglessly off the page of Lily’s book contemplatively. Her presence this close and calm next to him robbed him of the ability to make sense of anything, let alone reading. He might never get the chance to  _ talk  _ to her properly again. Even if the fact that she’d never remember made him a coward. 

James cleared his throat importantly, and she snorted. “Let’s see…” He took a breath, and looked upon the page. “Lily, I’m really, really sorry for today. I know I didn’t  _ make  _ him say that word, but let’s be honest. I’ve been pushing him away from you. And I enjoyed doing it,” James said grimly, staring at the page but his whole body was in tune to the girl next to him. “I hate him. Yes, because you let him in your life and not me, but because… he never wanted all of you. He was your friend  _ despite  _ who you are, and sometimes I reckon he thought you owed him for that. He thought he was so big and heroic for looking past your blood status and your friends for love. That’s not how it works,” James exhaled steadily. He let his head roll onto his shoulder to look at Lily, giving up the pretence of reading. A breathy laugh escaped him; she was asleep. Her breathing was deep and even, and the smell of firewhiskey and apples fanned over James’ face. Her cheek was smushed up against her palm, she looked utterly at peace - and he was mesmerised by the sight. It was probably good that this day ended for her, and the chapter it closed. 

What of  _ his _ chapter? Sat next to an intoxicated, passed out Lily Evans was the best he’d felt all term. Maybe he couldn’t keep up the incessant asking out anymore, either. 

In a low whisper, without really knowing why he bothered, James told Lily, “I like all of you. So, so much. I’m sorry for treating it - and you - like a joke, when I think it’s the only thing I’m sure about.” 

James’ eyes skated over her face and settled down in his seat. He let one arm rest on the arm of Lily’s armchair as a delicate message for the chancers to piss off. He’d have to move the precarious bottle balanced beside her. In a moment, though. 

James supposed if he was going to end a chapter and begin a new one, it was inevitable for him to be beside Lily. 


End file.
